Stormwater Tanks & Detention Tanks NZ

Encased in concrete: In a slab foundation, under a driveway or carpark. The pods can be stacked up to three high under decks or under houses on piles, or under your garden/lawn. The only limitation is your imagination!

Aquacomb® can be only be installed by the highly skilled team at Watersmart (or any Aquacomb Approved Installer) this is part of our strict quality control process.

Short answer – They won’t! In over 15,000 installs over 15 years in Australia and New Zealand there has not been a single leak, so we are very confident that if the system is installed by our team there will be no problems.

Each Aquacomb® is 1100mm x 1100mm and either 225mm (250L) or 300mm (350L) deep. When joined with connecting pipework we allow 1.44m2 for each Aquacomb® pod.

We divert all (or majority) of downpipes from the roof to a centralised location at the AquaPit, which acts as a gateway in and out of the Aquacomb® system.

Our overflow prevention system is extremely simple but effective. If the system ever fills up past 100% the water will simply be diverted to the council stormwater connection through an overflow pipe in the AquaPit.

The key to a long-lasting system is debris and sediment prevention. From the start every downpipe feeding water into the system should have a leaf diverter to divert leaves away from the tank, and our specially designed AquaPit stops sediment entering the system.

That being said, annually we recommend you inspect gutters, leaf diverters and AquaPit for any debris.

To learn more about maintenance, view our Homeowners Manual.

Independent testing by Design Navigator (the online tool used by architects to model thermal performance of buildings for Building Consent) determined that the effects on insulation properties was less than the margin of error in the calculator, therefore deemed to be the same as polystyrene void formers in a slab.

Even so if using in-slab heating systems we do tend to stay away from living areas when designing systems, opting for areas such as garage floors.

Since we manufacture our own tanks, we remain in complete control of the process. Pods are rotomolded, so there are no seams, joints, or glues required. Each pod is formed as a whole. In our factory, we pressure test each pod to 20 kPa and try to make them ‘pop’; at a far greater rate than there is likely to be any air in the product.

Then we measure each to make sure the thickness is at least 5mm. Each pod has its own serial number, which can be tracked throughout the entire manufacturing process. On installation, pods are pressure tested again once they reach site. When steel is attached to the pods, they are pressure tested again, and then again once concrete is poured (only in Auckland). Afterwards, the installer will issue a PS3.

Multiple tests are carried out during production and installation to ensure that the product is fit for its intended purpose. All pressure tests are recorded. You don’t have to worry about slow leaks, because you will hear them! The sound is so loud it’s been likened to a freight train.

Watersmart engaged Digital Navigators to conduct a thermal modelling report. Details of the full report can be obtained from the Aquacomb® thermal modelling report. Please get in touch to request a copy of this report.

The system we use is part of an engineered solution, which is incorporated into an engineer’s floor slab. Chesters Consultants has worked with us to create a series of recommended specifications for the use of Aquacomb® in slabs, drives, and paths. Aquacomb® can withstand a 15 degree flex, and is integrated within the concrete slab.

As soon as the system is encased in concrete, it becomes part of the slab. It can withstand a 15 degree flex without compromise. Geotech reports that highlight problems with the soil will be incorporated into the whole slab design. Because the pods form part of the slab, the engineering is designed to account for where that slab is going.

Some people initially think that concrete, being strong and tough, would be the best material to use for water storage. However concrete has many disadvantages over a plastic-like PE.

1. Concrete is porous and will lose water over time. Polyethylene plastic is not porous so water will never escape through the tank walls.

2. PE plastic is much lighter than concrete in any application, meaning a plastic tank is much easier and much cheaper to install than a concrete tank.

3. Polyethylene is extremely inert (non-reactive) so it will never rust or corrode and it can never rot or degrade in place. This also means it is safe for drinking water as the plastic can never flake off or dissolve into the water.

4. PE plastic is 100% recyclable so if it is ever taken out in the future it can be reused or recycled, while a concrete tank would just be smashed and sent to hard fill.